Right Here
by PeachyKeen13
Summary: In one world, Sirius Black sat in Grimmauld Place, mourning the fourteen year anniversary of his best friend's death. In another, parallel world, James Potter was doing the exact same thing. But there's something different about this Halloween…Five shot!
1. Chapter 1

**Right Here**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters :(**

**A/N: I know, I know…what am I thinking, posting so much when I have so much to finish on my other stories? But I have to take a day or two off from my other stories to collect my thoughts on them and get them squared away, so this is what you get - a very funny, emotional three-shot that I just HAD to type!:D**

**Full Summary: In one world, Sirius Black sat in Grimmauld Place, mourning the fourteen year anniversary of his best friend's death. In another, parallel world, James Potter was doing the exact same thing. But there's something different about this Halloween…something that could change both men's lives forever.**

**Other Notes: This story does not contain slash and contains only cannon pairings – it takes place in Harry's fifth year (Order of the Phoenix) on Halloween night. Anything that you recognize from the books in this story strictly belongs to JK Rowling, of course!**

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><p>Sirius sat alone at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place. There was a bottle of Firewhiskey in front of him, but it remained unopened. Sirius was drumming his fingers on the table…he heard every single sound in the house…the ticking of the clock above the sink…the footsteps coming from upstairs…the muted voices of Molly and Arthur Weasley in the sitting room…his own heartbeat…<p>

Sirius knew the date. He knew it before anyone else had a chance to tell him – it was Halloween . A fun, harmless holiday for children…a day that brought about joy and candy and friendship…but not for Sirius. For Sirius, this day represented everything that he hated – everything that destroyed him.

For on this day in 1981, Sirius's best friend – James – and his wife – Lily – were killed in their home in Godric's Hollow, leaving their one year old son, Harry, an orphan. All because of the betrayal of a friend.

For fourteen years, Sirius hadn't known this date (being as he'd spent them either on the run or in Azkaban Prison) so he couldn't really mourn it. He couldn't feel the crushing presence of their loss on a single day. But he felt it now – _oh, _he felt it now. He was able to think back on the day...the day that ruined his life forever.

Even though it was only eight-thirty in the morning, Sirius cracked open the Firewhiskey, and took a long drink...

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><p>James sat alone at his kitchen table in Grimmauld Place. Granted, it wasn't really <em>his <em>kitchen table, but it was the closest thing he had to one after Voldemort destroyed his family's home in Godric's Hollow. Feeling grief on Halloween wasn't something new for James - he'd felt the absence of his best friend on this day every year for fourteen years.

Himself and his wife, Lily, were staying with the Order of the Phoenix - the society created by Albus Dumbledore to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. James's fifteen year old son - Harry - was away at school. James often felt sadness for the way that Harry had to grow up - surrounded by war and pain and loss. But Lily always reminded her husband of how much _worse _it could have been - if they'd been home that night, Harry could have grown up without his parents.

It had been Sirius, in fact, who'd been with Harry in Godric's Hollow. He'd insisted. "James, Lily, come on...Peter's your Secret-Keeper, he won't let anything happen here. Go on, have a night out. I will protect Harry like he was my own son - I'd die before I let _anything _happen to him." James still remembered how fervent and sincere Padfoot had been. And though James would spend the rest of his adult life regretting it, James and Lily left the house for the night, leaving Harry in Sirius's care.

When they'd returned, the house had been in ruins, and Sirius had been found in the nursery with Harry, dead. James knew that that image of Sirius would be burned into his mind forever and ever - on Halloween night of 1981, James had truly lost everything.

James heard Lily come into the room. She wrapped her arms around her husband, and kissed the top of his head.

"Don't think about it." she murmured softly in her melodic, soothing voice.

James let out a strained, humorless chuckle. "Fourteen years," he muttered. "Has it truly been that long?"

"I hate to tell you, love, but you're getting old." Lily chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Despite her efforts, however, her husband remained in a glum mood.

"Padfoot always did dread getting old. He was afraid it would 'diminish his good looks' or some nonsense...at least he never has to worry about that." James whispered softly.

"If it makes you feel any better," Lily began, supressing the urge to cry, for she too, had loved Sirius. "Dumbledore's letting Harry come, today. Needs to discuss something of 'upmost importance' with him, or something. So we'll get to see him."

While this did lighten James's heart a bit, it couldn't help the pain he felt at the loss of his friend. Lily sighed, kissed James once more, and left the room. James didn't feel bad about being so melancholy - he was often funny and cheerful. He was constantly the life of the party, even in a time of war. Even when his son was being referred to as 'The Chosen One', or 'The Boy Who Lived'. Even when Remus's seriousness tried to 'rain on James's parade', James was happy. But this one day every year, he allowed himself time to grieve.

Even though it was only eight-thirty in the morning, James cracked open the Firewhiskey that rested in front of him, and took a long drink...

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><p>Two people...two people feeling unimaginable grief on this day. Both of whom were dead in one world, yet alive in another. Both of whom missed their best friend with everything in them. On this day, something was about to happen. Something that would change their lives forever.<p>

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><p>"Sirius? Sirius? Sirius!"<p>

Sirius snapped out of his thoughts, and focused in on reality. And reality was quite loud.

"What is it, Molly?" Sirius snapped, becoming irritated with the sharp look that the red-headed witch was giving him.

"What's got you _drinking _so early?" Molly asked, disgust evident in her voice.

"Oh, I don't know." Sirius muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Maybe the fact that it's Halloween?"

"Enjoy the festivities later!" Molly snapped. Then, she seemed to realize what _really _had Sirius drinking so early, and she instantly felt bad. She put her hand to her mouth, and murmured, "Oh...I'm so sorry...I-I didn't realize that it was...that it was _that _day..."

"S'alright." Sirius muttered deadly, taking another drink of Firewhiskey. "Used to it by now."

"Maybe I can see about getting Harry and the children over here for dinner tonight, hm?" Molly said, a bit uncomfortable. She was always quite snappy with Sirius, and wasn't entirely certain how to comfort the ex-prisoner. "Would that cheer you up?"

While, yes, the prospect of seeing his godson did cheer Sirius up a bit, it still couldn't completely rid him of his grief. Molly seemed to sense this, and left the kitchen without another word.

Sirius was tired. Quite, quite tired. He considered going to his room to take a nap; it wouldn't be quite so curious to the other Order members. Sirius usually slept in until noon anyway - no one would even have to know he'd been awake at all. Choosing to Apparate, because he was much to lazy to just _walk up the stairs, _Sirius stood up. Just before the _CRACK! _of his Apparation was heard, Sirius's thoughts trailed to James...

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><p>"James? James? James!"<p>

James snapped out of his thoughts and focused in on reality. And reality was quite annoyed.

"What?" James mumbled, still tired and half-asleep.

"What's got you drinking so early?" Molly Weasley asked, stepping into the room.

"It's Halloween..." James trailed off.

"Oh." Molly said. "I didn't realize...I'm so sorry, James, really, I-"

Despite his sadness, James managed a chuckle. "Don't beat yourself up, Molly. It's not a sin that you didn't know the date."

"Yes, well...I'm sorry just the same." the older red-headed witch murmured. "I'll just...leave you to your thoughts then."

"Thank you." James said honestly, taking a small sip of Firewhiskey.

"And James?" Molly added.

"Yes?" James asked, looking curiously up at the mother of his son's very best friend.

"I'm...quite sorry, you know...about Sirius." she said, not sure how to comfort the man who barely ever let anyone see him shed a tear.

"Thank you, Molly." James said. "That means a lot."

Molly allowed a sad smile, and walked out of the room. Suddenly, a large _CRACK! _was heard. Being an Auror, James was quite used to hearing Apparations, and didn't give the sound a second thought. Then, however, he heard a _thud, _a _crash, _and a, "Damn! That _hurt_!"

Choosing not to ignore the sound of someone who might have splinched while Apparating (and due to his Auror training) James stood up from the table and entered the sitting room, from which the sounds of pain had been heard. It was completely deserted except for one man, the one who had obviously been Apparating. He hadn't splinched at all - he'd just apparated head-long into the wall.

From the hallways several rooms down, James heard the portrait of Sirius's mother screech, "Filth! Vermon! Blood traitor! Disgrace of my flesh!"

And at the exact same time, both men shouted, "OY! Shut it, you old hag!"

"Sorry about her," both men began.

Then, the man who had Apparated liften his head, and James stared into the face of the man he'd just been grieving - the one who had been dead for fourteen years. The one he never thought he'd see again.

"S-Sirius?"

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><p>Sirius hadn't Apparated into his room at all - just the sitting room. However, Remus wasn't sitting there as he had been a minute before. It was deserted.<p>

And Sirius Apparated head-first into the wall.

"_Damn, _that hurt!" Sirius complained loudly, standing up. He rubbed the back of his head to try and alleviate the pain, when the sounds of his mother's portrait echoed into the room.

"Filth! Vermon! Blood traitor! Disgrace of my flesh!" Mrs. Black shouted.

Sirius hadn't been aware that another man had entered the room. But he sure heard him when he and the man shouted unanimously, "OY! Shut it, you old hag!"

Sirius's heart stopped for a moment. That had been something that he and James used to say together. And Sirius's heart hurt.

"Sorry about her," both men muttered.

Sirius finally lifted his head to ask the man why _he _was so ashamed of Mrs. Black, when he saw who it was.

Sirius stared into the face of the man he'd just been grieving - the one who had been dead for fourteen years. The one he never thought he'd see again.

"S-Sirius?" James sputtered out, his eyes already glossing over.

"J-James?"

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><p><strong>Ta-da! If I get enough reviews, I'll try to upload again tonight :D I hope you liked! Sorry if the guys were a little OOC, but they were grieving...and you're never the same when you're sad :( But I hope you liked! Oh, and I know that in the AU where James is alive, you might ask how Harry is still the BWL and whatnot, but that wasn't an error on my part - I've planned out James's entire reality, and trust me, it works :) I'll explain it next chapter. Until then, toodaloo!<strong>

**~PeachyKeen13**


	2. Chapter 2

**Right Here**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters :(**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I hope ya'll enjoy this next chapter - took me forever!**

**Full Summary: In one world, Sirius Black sat in Grimmauld Place, mourning the fourteen year anniversary of his best friend's death. In another, parallel world, James Potter was doing the exact same thing. But there's something different about this Halloween…something that could change both men's lives forever.**

**Other Notes: This story does not contain slash and contains only cannon pairings – it takes place in Harry's fifth year (Order of the Phoenix) on Halloween night. Anything that you recognize from the books in this story strictly belongs to JK Rowling, of course!**

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><p>"S-Sirius?" James sputtered out, his eyes already glossing over.<p>

"J-James?"

Just as both men let their vulnerability get the better of them, they realized what they'd done. They both pulled their wands out of their robes quickly, and pointed them at each other within the next second.

"Death Eater!" James growled. "How _dare _you insult his memory!"

"Voldemort has truly sunk _low._" Sirius barked. "Posing as James - practically throwing rotten food at his grave!"

"I don't know what _nonsense _you're talking about now, but it _ends. _Just like you will!" James threatened, trying to look as intimidating as possible. Inside, he was screaming. It was aganist everything he believed in to _ever _point a wand at Sirius. _But that's not Sirius! _a voice in the back of his head reminded James. _It's a Death Eater, of course! Sirius is dead! Avenge him!_

"I'm not going down without a fight! I'm avenging James _now._" Sirius insisted violently.

"Hang on a minute," James hissed, still eyeing Siri- no. Still eye the _Death Eater. _"We're not getting anywhere, here."

"Couldn't agree more." Sirius muttered.

"But answer me this before I _destroy _you," James growled. "Why are you pretending to be Sirius? Why not Remus?"

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked in disbeilief. "I think that _I _should be asking _you _that! You're the one posing as my dead best friend!"

"No, _you _are!" James shouted.

"So...you're _not _a Death Eater?" Sirius asked in confusion, lowering his wand ever so slightly.

"Of course not! I'd never join Voldemort!" James yelled. Then, he noticed that the other man was lowering his wand, so he did the same. "Wait - you're not a Death Eater either?"

"No..." Sirius said, shaking his head. "So this must mean...James, am I...dead?"

James looked sad. "Yeah. You have been for a while, Padfoot, but...hang on, am _I _dead? My God, I'm dead! Harry, no! And Lily...how did I die? do you know, Sirius?"

"You've been dead for years." Sirius said emptily.

"Wh-What? No, I haven't. I don't even remember dying." James said, knitting his eyebrows in confusion. Reluctantly, he put his wand away with his robes, and Sirius did the same.

"You died in 1981, James...it's 1995." Sirius whispered.

"No, _you _died in 1981, Sirius." James said. "Merlin, this isn't real. No, I must be dreaming."

"No, _I'm _the one that's dreaming." Sirius muttered. Refusing to believe that James was _really _here, breathing and perfectly alive, Sirius shouted, "Moony! Come here! I think I've gone mad!"

Not even hearing Sirius screech for Remus, James yelled, "Lilyflower! Come here! I think I had a bit too much Firewhiskey!"

James and Sirius heard two sets of disgruntled voices and feet trudging towards them from upstairs. While Remus and Lily headed downstairs, James and Sirius just stared at each other. Even if the other _wasn't _real, they were drinking in the sight of each other while they could.

"James? Darling, what is it?" Lily asked, when she was a room away.

"And James, I know that you're upset about Sirius, but you've not...gone...mad?" Remus said, trailing off as he and Lily entered the sitting room.

Lily choked back a sob at the sight of Sirius, and Remus gasped loudly. He looked to James and demanded, "What in Merlin's name is going on, Prongs?"

"Moony, good! You see him, too! And...Lily? No, this isn't possible...you're both dead!" Sirius shouted. "Remus, tell me I'm not crazy, tell me you see them, too!"

"S-Sirius?" Remus sputtered out, leaning on Lily for support. "Sirius Black?"

"Merlin, not you _too!_" Sirius said. "Why is everyone acting so bloody surprised to see _me _when the supposedly dead James and Lily Potter are in the same room!"

"Supposedly dead?" Lily gasped. "What do you mean? What is he talking about, James?"

"So you both see him, too?" James asked Lily and Remus carefully. Both absentmindedly nodded their heads.

"Would someone _please _just explain to me what in Merlin's name is going on here?" Sirius demanded. "One moment I'm in the kitchen, drinking my sorrows away over a bottle of _pathetic _Firewhiskey, and Remus is reading in the sitting room, the next, I'm Apparating into the sitting room and suddenly, the very people I had been missing just happen to _appear _out of thin air? No spell can bring back the dead!"

"I haven't read at all today..." Remus muttered, confused.

"And I've been in the kitchen all morning. I was drinking Firewhiskey as well...if you had been there, I would have seen you." James said, refusing to let his guard down. This couldn't be Sirius. Sirius was dead.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Sirius growled, aiming a kick at the couch.

"James? Have you heard? Dumbledore is bringing the children over tonight! Won't it be nice to see...Sirius?"

Molly Weasley had just walked into the living room. She stopped cold upon seeing Sirius.

"Molly, _please _tell me that you remember the conversation we had in the kitchen?" Sirius practically begged.

"Sirius Black?" Molly asked. "But-but that's impossible! James Potter, _what did you do?_"

"I didn't do anything Molly!" James defended. "And I don't even think that _is _Sirius."

"No, it is." Remus decided. "Look at him...it's obvious. But...I don't think it's _our _Sirius."

"What do you mean, Remus?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah, Remmy. What are you blathering on about _now?_" Sirius asked.

Remus visibly flinched. He'd missed Sirius so very much, and to have him there...it felt completely and utterly unreal.

"I mean," Remus began coolly. "That I believe that _this _Sirius is from a different timeline."

"Then he didn't have any Marauder Adventures with us?" James asked sadly, looking very near tears.

"No, I remember those." Sirius responded automatically. "They're not exactly the type of thing you forget when they're all you have to remember your best friend by."

"No, I think that the timelines are...parallel, perhaps, Remus?" Lily suggested.

"Yes." Remus agreed. "Sirius, the timeline from which you are a part and _our _timeline are very much alike - up until a certain point. In fact, I believe that we started out in the _same _timeline...but there was a point, a point in that timeline, that caused it to split. To you, _this _could be considered an alternate universe - one in which you died."

"Okay Moony," Sirius began. "Just because I got bloody _old _doesn't mean I understand a _thing _you just said - slowly. And with small words, _please_."

James couldn't help but laugh a bit. _"That was exactly what Sirius would have said," _he thought sadly.

Remus rolled his eyes. _"Definitely Sirius." _he decided. "Okay," he began slowly. "We started out in same time. Something bad happen in that time. The time split in half. In your half, you lived. In our half, you died. Okay?"

"Didn't have to be so bloody sarcastic about it," Sirius grumbled, rolling his eyes. "But I think I understand a bit more clearly."

"So now we just have to figure out at what point in that timeline it split." Lily decided.

"Why don't we have a seat at the dining r-room table?" Molly said shakily, trying to avoid looking at Sirius. "We can Floo Dumbledore and discuss it over tea."

"I think I'll need something stronger." Remus, Sirius, and James mumbled at the same time. Despite their fears and uncertainties, the three Marauders were able to give each other strained chuckles.

"So...James," Sirius began, struggling over actually saying James's name. "When did I die?"

"Halloween of 1981." James muttered in a depressed tone. "When did _I _die?"

"You and Lily both died on Halloween of 1981." Sirius mumbled in a similar tone.

"Looks like we found our point," Remus declared.

"What happened in your universe, S-Sirius?" Lily asked, tripping over her old friend's name a bit.

"You and James and Harry were home," Sirius began sadly. "You were all under the Fidelius Charm. Peter was your Secret-Keeper. I was the one who'd suggested it...it was all my fault, but I swear, I never wanted to hurt either of you! ...We never told anyone about the switch, and on Halloween, Voldemort showed up at your front door. He-he killed James first. Then he went after Lily. But when he tried to attack Harry...the blood protection that Lily gave Harry when she died for him somehow made Voldemort's curse rebound, and he vanished instead. I found you two. I knew what Peter had done...so I went after him. I had just cornered him when he'd turned the tables and loudly blamed _me _for the whole thing - he then blew up the entire street, and pretended that he was dead. I was accused of killing you two, Peter, and twelve Muggles. I was taken to Azkaban without even a bloody trial. I escaped two years ago to find Pettigrew and _end _him. Instead, I found Harry. I'm still on the run from the law. And only last Summer, Harry participated in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which was held at Hogwarts. During the Third Task, Voldemort tricked Harry into taking a portkey to a remote location; a remote location in which Voldemort and Peter _used _Harry to bring the evil git back to a 'proper' state. Because of this, Dumbledore has just re-instated the Order of the Phoenix."

Sirius sighed. "Any questions?"

"Azkaban?" James whispered painfully, a single tear leaking from his eye. "My God, Sirius..."

"But I found Harry." Sirius said. "And that was worth it all."

"Did you ever find me, Padfoot?" Remus asked, pained.

Sirius allowed a small smile. "As a matter of fact, I did, Remmy. Actually, I sort of lived with you for a bit. An escaped convict can't exaclty buy his own flat, you know what I mean?"

Remus returned the smile sadly.

"Where did Harry stay, if you were in Azkaban?" Lily asked.

Sirius sighed. _"You've escaped the wrath of Lily for fourteen years...prepare to get an earfull." _"If I'm not mistaken, he lives at your Muggle sister's during the Summer months, Lily."

"He-he WHAT?" Lily and James exploded at the same time. "But she must _hate _him!"

"He's strong." Sirius assured his old friends. "But once I'm free, I plan to take him in."

"Thank you...Sirius." James said. "You've no idea how much that means to us."

"What happened in _this _world? Why am _I _dead?" Sirius asked carefully, not taking his eyes off of James.

James sighed, and let a single tear roll from his eyes. Sirius felt unnerved - James had _never _cried.

"It was stupid," he murmured brokenly. "Y-You insisted, Padfoot, that Lily and I 'get out' for a night. You stayed with Harry. You died for him, Sirius, when Voldemort came. Lily and I came home to find the house in ruins a-and you dead. I was outraged, of course, and hurt beyond any measure. I sought out Peter. I knew he had betrayed us, how else would Voldemort have found our house? B-But Remus over here stopped me before I did anything stupid. The Ministry caught up with Peter when we told them what had happened. He died in Azkaban four years ago. We raised Harry, naturally, and he's in Gryffindor at Hogwarts. Harry - just like in your timeline - stopped Voldemort. He's the Boy-Who-Lived, but he's not arrogant about it. He's a wonderful boy. Dumbledore wants to speak to him about something tonight, and Molly over there insisted that the other children come as well. We're all having dinner tonight."

"This place sounds like paradise," Sirius said.

"It's usually pretty wonderful," James agreed. "Except on Halloween. I-I try to be strong, but I'm still so _angry! _And I'm hurt and upset and I just want to _scream _sometimes! I _hate _that you died Sirius, you have _no _idea!"

"Actually, I do." Sirius disagreed lightly, trying _his _hardest not to cry. He quietly put a hand on James's shoulder, and James flinched. "I'm going through the same exact thing."

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><p><strong>Kind of a cliffhanger, but perhaps <em>this <em>will make up for it - I've decided to make this a five-shot now:) I want it to be a full-moon 'tonight', so there will be some MPP reuniting - Animagi style;) This was mostly just an explaining chapter, so that the next three will make sense:) Plus, I wanted James and Sirius to _not _try to kill each other throughout the day. So I hope that this wasn't too _dreadfully _boring, and pretty please review!**

**~PeachyKeen13**


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